BNC Policy Regarding Letters:
BNC invites letters from eNEWS readers. Letters and photos should be sent to newsletter@berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com and should be about issues of neighborhood interest. Letters should be no longer than 500 words, although at times we will publish letters that exceed that length. All letters should state the name(s) of the author and at least the general area where the author lives or the neighborhood group he/she is affiliated with. That information will be published with the letter. Letters should also include a phone number and e-mail address where the author can be contacted. That information will NOT be published. We ask for it just in case we have any questions, and, of course, we need to verify who it was that sent the letter.
This Month’s Letter
This month’s letter is not actually a letter, but a comment given to BNC by Marcy McGaugh, a long time neighborhood activist who lives on the South Side. She is concerned about Council meetings that have so many controversial items on the agenda that all the people who want to attend can’t be admitted to the Council Chambers because there is no room, and/or the agenda is so packed that people have to wait a long time to make their comments. In either circumstance, people give up and go home without speaking, or deferring their time to other speakers. She wonders why this happens, how frequently it happens and what can be done about it.
BNC has a good idea, but before we go into a long research project, we’d like to hear from others, so we have some specific dates to look at. Please contact us at newsletter@berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com and describe your experience, how it mattered to you and your neighbors, and any ideas you have to remedy the situation. We’ll put together all the information and come up with a proposal for your consideration. Now, is the time to speak up about this problem because a neighborhood presence is so important to neighborhood issues.
An Update on Two Issues that Were Raised Last Month
First Issue: An Increase in Garbage Collection Rates
On May 20, 2014, the City Council considered the protests filed against the 24.7% per month increase in garbage collection rates for residential and 2.5% per month for commercial customers with an annual inflator of whichever is greater, 3% or the Bay Area Consumer Price Index. Under the Prop 218 process used, property owners had the opportunity to file a protest against the rate increase. If the protests reached a majority, the increase would automatically fail. The City Clerk announced that out of 28,696 ballots mailed, 3,926 or 14% filed a protest. Immediately following the Clerk’s announcement, the Council approved the rate increase on an 8 “yes” vote, 0 “no” vote and 1 absent (Council Member Worthington).
BNC still intends to try and find out about the loan for new garbage trucks and how the rate increase will be apportioned to attain the zero waste goal. We’ll report back.
Second Issue: The West Berkeley Initiative
This is the initiative that sought to control building heights in West Berkeley and on an advisory basis, encourage recycling-based businesses in that area. The Berkeley Bayfront Coalition, sponsors of this initiative, withdrew the measure before the deadline to turn in signatures stating they wanted more time to construct a more thoughtful and thorough measure. They vowed they will continue the effort to place a measure on a future ballot after November 2014.